 At 1630 on July 16, 2005, personnel from the Orovada Volunteer Fire Department and the BLM responded to a fire seven miles north of Orovada, Nevada. The day's weather forecast included a red flag warning for low relative humidity that also stated that winds will become strong and gusty in the afternoon following the passage of a cold front across northern Nevada. At 1730, the IC met Engine 2942 on the south edge of the fire on the west side of Highway 95. The engine was instructed to cool down the active backing fire from the highway west to the right-of-way fence. One to three-foot flame lengths were observed. The objective was to tie into an existing disc-plowed line on the west side of the right-of-way fence. After their briefing, Engine 2942 entered the unburned green area and began direct attack using hard-line hose. About half of the engine was still on the gravel shoulder when the southwest wind abruptly shifted out of the northwest causing an immediate blow-up with 10 to 15-foot flame lengths. The engine operator put the engine in reverse to back out to the highway but the engine stalled. After a few unsuccessful attempts to restart the motor, the front end of the engine had begun to burn. The operator exited the engine through the driver's door and retreated to the highway about 15 to 20 feet away. Engine 2961, another engine on scene at this time, saw Engine 2942 engulfed in flames and deployed a hard-line. They began attacking the advancing flame front but were unable to get close enough to actually put water on the burning engine which was only 20 to 25 feet away. One crew member from Engine 2961 inhaled smoke from the burning engine which resulted in precautionary medical treatment. As Engine 2942 was consumed by fire, the left front tire and the right outside dual tire along with the locking rims were blown approximately 30 feet away from the engine. Anyone attempting to extinguish the fire and close proximity to Engine 2942 serious injuries may have resulted. According to witnesses on scene, the total elapsed time from engagement of the fire line by Engine 2942 until the engine form and ran to the safety zone on the highway was between 15 and 45 seconds. This scenario reminds us how quickly fire behavior and weather conditions can change and the volatility of fine, flashy fuel models found in many parts of this country. To review this further, please get into your groups and complete the first exercise in your student workbook.